On May 27, 2024, the Baguio Jaycees, Inc. will celebrate its 75th anniversary as a chapter of the Philippine Jaycees.
When once there was only one chapter in Baguio, there are now four chapters, the other three being the- Sunflower Jaycees (chartered in 2006), Las Chicas Del Baguio Jaycees(chartered in 2021), and the BLISTT Jaycees (chartered this year, 2023), the latter being based in La Trinidad, Benguet.
A diamond jubilee celebration is being planned by said chapters presently headed by Baguio Jaycees, Inc. president Christian Espiritu, Sunflower Jaycees President DherylTumbali, Las Chicas Del Baguio Jaycees President Trina Montreras and BLISTT Jaycees President Nicanor Satur and,of course, the Baguio Jaycees Senate President Vany Roncal.
Although the anniversary date is on May 27, the celebration will be held on May 25, 2024. The venue shall be announced later.
All former officers and all past and present Jaycees are invited. Please make an early booking of your flights if you reside abroad.
The Baguio Jaycees, Inc. was one of the organizations that I joined as a young professional, fresh from taking my oath as a new lawyer, upon the letter invitation of kuya Rhey Bautista, who was then the president of the University of Baguio. From his letter, I learned that the Baguio Jaycees is a chapter of the Philippine Jaycees which is a branch of the Junior Chamber International (JCI), a worldwide organization.
It is a leadership training organization for people between the ages of 18 and 40, whereby the members undergo lessons on leadership and development and thereafter apply what they learned through actual civic projects of the chapter.
I soon came to know that the term “Jaycees” was coined from the acronym JCI. Upon induction, a member is called a “Jaycee”. One must adhere to and know by heart the six tenets of the Jaycee Creed, before being admitted to the organization. Although the tenets are self-explanatory, the Jaycee Creed was a seminar topic and we recited them every opening of a meeting or any program. In the many years that I was a member up to the present time that I was conferred a Jaycee Senator-ship by JCI, the tenets of the Jaycee Creed ring clear in my ears. It states:
The Jaycee Creed
We believe
That faith in god gives meaning and purpose to human life;
That the brotherhood of man transcends the sovereignty of nations;
That economic justice can best be won by free men through free enterprise;
That government should be of laws rather than of men;
That earth’s great treasures lies in human personality; and
That service to humanity is the best work of life.
Kuya Rhey B’s invitation came to me at an opportune time because I was newly appointed as a barangay captain in the city and so I used the leadership skills I learned from the Baguio Jaycees, among others, in my barangay management.
During our seminars, we were required to be properly groomed, dress up with a white polo shirt and necktie, dress pants and dress shoes. We had to be punctual and attentive to our resource speakers who would discuss with us topics on various aspects of personality and leadership development, parliamentary procedures, public speaking, project development from proposal to execution and post-project reports, bid-book preparations, etc.
Our resource speakers were noted leaders and experts in the different business fields in Manila and would time themselves to finish their topics, each in an hour and a half.
Kuya Rhey B often reminded us that the free seminars given us were similar to the leadership curriculum in the Asian Institute of Management, which was expensive.
After the seminars, each member was given the opportunity to chair a committee and a project. The failure or mistake of a chairperson can only be condoned once but not on the next one – for which a self-evaluation is needed about his qualities as a leader and his methodology or even his ability to lead.
We enjoyed our time with my brothers in the movement including the fellowships and “pilloships” that we attended in conventions in the different regions of the Philippines and other countries where we interacted with our fellow delegates, exchanging notes on our best practices and forged brotherhood alliances including joint projects on community and environmental improvements.
The age limit of Jayceeism is 40 years old. By then, one can join other community organizations.
It has been joked about that a good Jaycee joins the Rotary while other Jaycees are fed to the lions.
April 29, 2024
